1. Field of the Invention
This application is directed to pumps for mechanical circulatory support of a heart. In particular, this application is directed to a console and controller for a catheter pump and a fluid handling system configured to convey and remove fluids to and from the catheter pump.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heart disease is a major health problem that has high mortality rate. Physicians increasingly use mechanical circulatory support systems for treating heart failure. The treatment of acute heart failure requires a device that can provide support to the patient quickly. Physicians desire treatment options that can be deployed quickly and minimally-invasively.
Intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) are currently the most common type of circulatory support devices for treating acute heart failure. IABPs are commonly used to treat heart failure, such as to stabilize a patient after cardiogenic shock, during treatment of acute myocardial infarction (MI) or decompensated heart failure, or to support a patient during high risk percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Circulatory support systems may be used alone or with pharmacological treatment.
In a conventional approach, an IABP is positioned in the aorta and actuated in a counterpulsation fashion to provide partial support to the circulatory system. More recently, minimally-invasive rotary blood pumps have been developed in an attempt to increase the level of potential support (i.e., higher flow). A rotary blood pump is typically inserted into the body and connected to the cardiovascular system, for example, to the left ventricle and the ascending aorta to assist the pumping function of the heart. Other known applications pumping venous blood from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery for support of the right side of the heart. An aim of acute circulatory support devices is to reduce the load on the heart muscle for a period of time, to stabilize the patient prior to heart transplant or for continuing support.
There is a need for improved mechanical circulatory support devices for treating acute heart failure. Fixed cross-section ventricular assist devices designed to provide near full heart flow rate are either too large to be advanced percutaneously (e.g., through the femoral artery without a cutdown) or provide insufficient flow.
There is a need for a pump with improved performance and clinical outcomes. There is a need for a pump that can provide elevated flow rates with reduced risk of hemolysis and thrombosis. There is a need for a pump that can be inserted minimally-invasively and provide sufficient flow rates for various indications while reducing the risk of major adverse events. In one aspect, there is a need for a heart pump that can be placed minimally-invasively, for example, through a 15 FR or 12 FR incision. In one aspect, there is a need for a heart pump that can provide an average flow rate of 4 Lpm or more during operation, for example, at 62 mmHg of head pressure. While the flow rate of a rotary pump can be increased by rotating the impeller faster, higher rotational speeds are known to increase the risk of hemolysis, which can lead to adverse outcomes and in some cases death. Accordingly, in one aspect, there is a need for a pump that can provide sufficient flow at significantly reduced rotational speeds. These and other problems are overcome by the inventions described herein.
Furthermore, in various catheter pump systems, it can be important to provide fluids to an operative device of a catheter assembly (e.g., for lubrication of moving parts and/or treatment fluids to be delivered to the patient), and to remove waste fluids from the patient's body. A controller may be provided to control the flow into and out of the catheter assembly. It can be advantageous to provide improved mechanisms for engaging the catheter assembly with the controller, which may be housed in a console.
Additionally, there is a need to reduce the time to implantation and treatment. In the case of therapy for acute heart failure in particular, the time it takes to start therapy can be critical to survival and good outcomes. For example, a difference of several minutes can be the difference between recovery and permanent brain damage for patients suffering myocardial infarction or cardiogenic shock. Accordingly, a continuing need exists to provide pump systems that can be set up, primed, and inserted faster, easier, and more effectively.
These and other problems are overcome by the inventions described herein.